Mean Street

Your victory over the animated clock tower has likely left you feeling exhilarated, but the citizens of Mean Street have more on their mind than just some vanquished tower. The projectors that connect their town to the world around them have been broken and now you're the only one who can manage the repairs. Since most of this disaster is your fault, it's time to get to work.

When you first appear, you'll find yourself looking along a street that the introductory cutscene outlined so efficiently. If you're confused about where everything is, you can check your map and each building that you need to visit is helpfully labeled.

(Above Left) Getting to the rooftop can be a challenge if you try to double jump up to it from lower on the slope; come at it from behind. (Above Right) Trying to beat Gilda's best time can be a challenge at first, but you can win with persistence.

Before you head down the street, turn around and look at the projector that you used to enter this region. Head left and through the poles with a roof overhead. You'll find some junk behind the building, and among it a Silver Pin for your collection. Now continue around the back side of the building as your circle toward the front. You'll find an orange-colored awning over some more of the poles. There are pieces of roof that you can paint atop that awning. Paint in the rest of the roof, then double jump up onto it from higher on the slope and quickly work your way to the roof's peak. There may be some more painting to do, but when you finish you'll be able to double jump up to a platform and collect the Mean Street content.

Now drop back down to the street level and head down into the main village area. As you arrive there, resume your exploration by heading left toward the City Hall building. When you get close, you'll trigger a meeting with Pete. If you did as suggested in the guide and helped his smaller version, he'll reward you now with a handful of tickets and the Small Pete Pin. He'll also tell you that he lost a race to Gilda (the fleet-footed gal near the firehouse) and now she has the pin that you're seeking.

Head to the next building and talk to Gilda. She'll mention that her axe was left behind on an expedition, which is an important side quest you can worry about later. Then she'll ask if you want to attempt to beat her best time in a race. Of course you do. To win the race, you have to follow a white light around the square. You can follow the course it plots fairly easily most of the time, but be especially careful once you race up the hill to the train station and start out on the balcony toward the right to make a leap to a rooftop; the camera likes to swing at the wrong moment and Mickey will drop, essentially guaranteeing that you've lost the race but have to sit through another 30 seconds or so of nothing before you can attempt it again. Fortunately, that's the only leap of that sort that you have to take. Otherwise, you can follow the glowing object along the street level just fine. You should reach the finish line in well under a minute and your reward is the desired gear.

(Above Left) Horace wants his book before he'll help you. (Above Right) There's a sad sight waiting for you near the projector screens.

Now you should cross the street from where you met with Gilda, to head for the Detective Agency. It's easily identified by the over-sized magnifying glass decorating the awning over its front door. From that building, head to the right toward the Museum building and look for a low tree by its side. Jump onto the tree, then from there onto the roof and head to the edge of the roof to find a Gold Pin. Now return to the area just in front of the door to the Detective Agency. This time, head left to the next building and climb onto its second floor. There, you can use thinner to eliminate the false front and find yourself on a gray-tiled roof. The wall to the right is an artificial wall. Spray it with more thinner to reveal a hidden room where you can obtain a Bronze Pin.

Drop back down to the lower level and now you're ready to enter the Detective Agency. Inside, talk to Horace and he'll agree to part with his gear if you bring him back a book that let Casey borrow. You can find Casey at the Emporium, just across the street and toward the right. Enter that building and talk to Casey. He will refer you to Paulie, the Ice Cream Parlor owner. Leave the building and now you need to head left and into the next building (which has an ice cream painted on its awning). Inside, Paulie will hand over the book. Now return to Horace and give him the book to receive the gear.

With your gear in hand, you next should head outside and follow the street to the right, where it ends in front of a bunch of old projection screens. After a scene takes place there, head back the way you just came and stop to talk to Gremlin Markus in front of the Cinema building. He'll be pleased that you have the gears, but he also needs a Power Spark item to get things running.

(Above Left) The Usher will give you the Swashbuckler Pin and other exciting prizes in exchange for Film Reels that you find in each action stage. (Above Right) Use paint thinner to remove the manhole cover and find Casey's key.

Markus suggests talking to Casey at the Emporium about obtaining a Power Spark. You can also find one at the Museum. Start by heading to the Museum. There, talk to Laralee. She's the curator. She has a Power Spark, but she doesn't want to part with it unless you can bring her something more interesting to display in its place. Take her advice and head to the Cinema building to speak with the Usher. You can turn in Film Reels that you've collected and he will respond with prizes. When you turn in the first reel, you'll receive the Swashbuckler Pin, along with Captain Hook's Cutlass. Take that with you and return to the Museum. Turn in the cutlass to receive the desired Power Spark.

Now head back toward Gremlin Markus, but take a slight detour and visit the Emporium. Inside, talk to Casey and he'll reveal that he has lost his key. He believes it to be somewhere near the Ice Cream Parlor. Exit the Emporium and head around to the next alleyway. Head down it and there's an orange manhole cover along the ground. Spray it with thinner to reveal an opening, where you'll find the desired key. Grab it, then return with it to the Emporium and hand it over to Casey to receive another Power Spark. Now you can buy items from the Emporium using the tickets that you've been finding. The shop has some neat items up for sale, including the Large Wallet for 350 tickets. It lets you carry many more tickets around with you. There are other items too, including the Mickey Faces I content, the Gremlin Village Pin and the Welcome to Wasteland Pin (all priced at 200 tickets apiece, so hopefully you've been collecting). Now is as good a time as any to note that there also are items available at the Ice Cream Parlor. You can come back to this area throughout the game for goodies and to speak to the Usher (who will give increasingly great rewards to you as you turn in more reels), so keep that in mind. For now, a good purchase is the Large Wallet so that you can gather more tickets before your next visit.

When you're ready to leave, head to Gremlin Markus with your Power Spark and he'll activate a projector screen so that you can proceed to the next action stage.